Update from Hannah Bates in Germany
Our current outbound youth exchange student sends greetings from Germany. Her letter follows:
"Hallo!
Winter break started off with a jolt here when we heard of the attack at the Christmas market in Berlin on the last day of school. Having been to a few in Oldenburg and Bremen, I know it can be difficult just to get to the next booth in a crowded Christmas market, let alone dive out of the way of a moving truck.
Winter break started off with a jolt here when we heard of the attack at the Christmas market in Berlin on the last day of school. Having been to a few in Oldenburg and Bremen, I know it can be difficult just to get to the next booth in a crowded Christmas market, let alone dive out of the way of a moving truck.
On Christmas Eve, we had a steak dinner and then went to the local church to sing German Christmas carols. It’s that evening (the 24th) that we open our presents from each other, instead of the morning of the 25th. On Christmas Day, my host mother cooked a roast goose, which we ate with Rotkohl (cooked red cabbage), Kartoffelkloesse (Bavarian potato dumplings), cooked pears with cranberry sauce, and other fried potato things which I forget the name of. It was all so delicious I’ll probably have to come back here for Christmas dinner every year. Over Christmas break I also made my host family Glory Bowl (Shuswap Pie Co.), which turned out perfectly. My host mom adored it, although I think my host father prefers more meat and potatoes.
For Sylvester (New Year’s), we went to a large park in Bremen where they had a huge firework display in front of the grand hotel. Fabiola and I stayed in Bremen overnight the next few days, and went ice skating as well as to the airport to say goodbye to some exchange students we knew who were flying home (Australia and New Zealand).
In other news, it finally snowed, and it is staying! It finally feels like winter for me. I’m also very excited to be going on the Rotary Ski Trip to Austria next week! More on that next time!
Tschuess! Thank you!
Hannah"
For Sylvester (New Year’s), we went to a large park in Bremen where they had a huge firework display in front of the grand hotel. Fabiola and I stayed in Bremen overnight the next few days, and went ice skating as well as to the airport to say goodbye to some exchange students we knew who were flying home (Australia and New Zealand).
In other news, it finally snowed, and it is staying! It finally feels like winter for me. I’m also very excited to be going on the Rotary Ski Trip to Austria next week! More on that next time!
Tschuess! Thank you!
Hannah"
